Package-binding implement



3 Sheets-Sheet l S. C. CARY PACKAGE BI NDING IMPLEMENT Filed June 15, 922

47 forngyf Dec. 13, 1927.

s. c. CARY PACKAGE BINDING IMPLEMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1922 Dec. 13, 1927.

s. c. CARY PACKAGE BINDING IMPLEMENT Filed June 15, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPENCER C. CARY, QF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 CARY MANUFACTURING 00., OF BRGOKLYN, NEW YC-EE,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PACKAGE-BIN DING IMPLEMENT.

Application filed June 15,

This invention is a package binding implement embodying means for tensioning, and means for looking, a wire binder on a package of one kind or another; and the objects are to attain economy in the use of wire as the binder, and to facilitate the operations of initially positioning the wire binder with respect to the implement and the package, of taking up the slack in said wire binder, of placing tension on said binder so as to compress the package and to embed the binder in the corner portions thereof, and of locking the end portions of said binder while the latter is under tension.

A salient feature of the invention is an implement provided with retaining means co-operable with a preformed wire binder, whereby said binder is inserted into said means and becomes anchored therein by the mere act of inserting it.

A further feature of the invention consists of a traveler provided with means for the expeditious attachment of a wire binder in fixed relation to said traveler, combined with operating means for imparting movement to the traveler, which operating means includes a screw and a nut-formed member, the latter being releasable at will from the screw, whereby the parts are adapted for return to normal positions in an expeditious manner.

A further feature consists of an implement with tensioning means and cutting means so co-ordinated that the wire binder severed at a point close to the locked portion of the binder, a result of which there is cut from each binder a relatively short length or piece of wire, with the ultimate effect of securing economy in the use of wire as binders for packages A still further feature consists of a rockable ejector for displacing the wire from the retaining means and the twisting means, said ejector being operated automatically and at a period subsequently to the operations of tensioning and locking the binder.

.11. further feature consists of means for retaining the implement as an entirety in a desired relation to the'wire and to the package during the operations of tensioning the wire and locking said wire while under tension.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following de- 1922. Serial N0. 568,379.

scription taken in connection with the drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan view of an implement embodying my invention, showing it resting upon a package which is partly broken away and illustrating the wire binder in connec tion with said implement, and after the said binder shall have been placed under tension, and prior to the operation of twisting together the lapping portions of said wire binder.

Figure 2 is .a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical transverse section, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 looking at the opposite side of the gear-housing, and with the section cut in a plane indicated by the dotted line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. 4

Figure 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section through the twister mechanism, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line H of Figure 3, said figure illustrating the lapping portions of the wire binder as extending within the twister mechanism and prior to the operation of said twisting mechanism on said binder for locking the end portions thereof.

Figure 5 is a detail view in side elevation of the rotary slotted twister gear.

Figure 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 66 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, said view illustrating in full lines the operative position of the nut member forming a. part of the traveler, and the dotted lines illustrating the nut member in a released position and free from the screw, whereby the return of the traveler, to normal position is facilitated.

Figure 7 is a detail in side elevation of the locating member with which is associated the operating screw and a directing stem for the traveler.

Figure 8 is a detail View of a portion ot the wire binder illustrating the reformed end portion thereof, said view ilustrating that portion of the wire binder which is twisted for locking the end portions after said binder shall have been tensioned and V by an appropriate after one end portion of the binder shall have been cut off at a point close to the twist.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 2, illustrating the loose connection between one end portion of the operating screw and the implement frame or gear housing.

Figure 10 is a detail perspective new of the traveler disconnected from the implement, illustrating the nut member in a released position.

Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of the cutter member detached from the implement.

Figures 12 and 13 are detail views of the retainers for the wire binder, which retainers are fixedly attached to the gear housing and are positioned thereon for holding the lapping portions of the wire binder in a required relation to each other during the rotative movement of the twister mechanism, for locking said wire binder while the latter is under tension.

Figure 1a is a view in elevation of my implement, the traveler of which is provided with a cam-formed gripping element for retaining one end portion of the wire binder in fixed relation to said traveler during the operation of tensioning said binder.

The several operating parts of the implement are supported, directly or indirectly, frame, herein shown comprising a gear-housing A, a rest-plate a, and a directing-plate a. The rest-plate a projects rearwardly from the housing, whereas the directing-plate a extends forwardly with respect to said housing, the rest-plate and the directing-plate being in the horizontal plane of the housing at the bottom portion thereof, whereby the frame is constructed with a flat bottom surface of relatively large area, all the parts of which are in the same horizontal plane, and as a result of which the frame is longer from front to rear than it is in the direction of an operating screw B. The gear-housing is composed of complemental parts a assembled in fixed relation and constructed to form a chamber for the accommodation of the twister operating segment C, see Figure 4. The gear-housing is provided in the lower front portion thereof with a recess a in a plane above the top surface of the for-- wardly extending directing plate, said directing plate being inclined at a on the exposed top surface, which inclined portion a slopes upwardly from the free front edge of the plate toward the recess (4, whereby the inclined face of the plate a acts as a guide in directing thewire binder, when it is introduced by hand, toward and into the recess a" of the housing. The members a of the gear-housing are provided, also, with another recess, 0, adapted to receive journals 0 of the twister gear C whereby the latter rotatably mounted within the gear-housing A. Said twister gear C and its journals 0 are provided with a radial slot 0 which e2;- tends througl'i the periphery of the gear and its journals for the easy introduction of the wire binder and for the removal of said binder subsequently to the operations of tensioning and twisting said binder, as will hereinafter appear. 7

The rest-piate a of the frame affords means for applying pressure by hand upon the implement, so as to retain said implement in position during the operation of tensioning the hinder or when the twister operating segment C is actuated for the purpose of imparting rotative movement to the twister gear C, in order to twist together the adjacent or lapping portions of the binder. As shown, the rest-plate carries an upstanding post A positioned rearwardly of the gear-housing A and extending to a point within easy reach of the operators hand, so that the hand may be placed upon the post and pressed downwardly thereon for the purpose of pressing the implement frame, through the rest-plate a, into firm contact with the package upon which the implement is adatped to rest.

The members a of the gear-housing are provided on the outer sides thereof with bearings, d, for a short horizontal shaft, D,

'which shaft is journaled in said bearings,

and extends transversely through the gearhousing. This shaft carries the twister-operating segment C so as to support the latter within the gear-housing and intermediate the members 05 thereof, the end portions of said shaft D extending through the beari CZ, for a purpose to be explained. ihe twister-operating segment is provided with a suitable operating nieml'ier, herein shown as a lever arm D which is made fast with the segment C in a suitable manner, said lever arm being provided at its outer free end with a handle, d, of appropriate form. The segment C and twister gear C are positioned within the gear-housing for the teeth of said segnz nt to mesh with the teeth of the twister gear, see l igure i, and t segn'ient is so proportioned with respect to twister gear, and the arcuate moven'ient or the segment is such that, said s ment is adapted, on the forward sw of iever arm D, to impart rotative mo enient to the twister gear for a number of turns whereby the lapping portions of the wire binder twisted together the required number of times, as shown in Figure 8.

The implement of this invention is constructed for use in connection with a pre formed wire W adapted to serve as a binder for a package, thewire so employed being straightened and cut to a length suited to the dimensions of the package. The wire is llii liit' formed especially for use in the implement with a view to facilitating its introduction into said implement and with a view, also, to ova-coming the requirement of providing gripping means as a part of the implement for retaining said wire against slipping, either in the operations of applying tension thereto or in the operation of twisting together the lapping portions of said binder. To this end, the wire is preliminarily formed with a shoulder, w, of one form or another; but in Figures 4 and 8 of the drawings, I have illustrated a'preformed wire which is deflected adjacent an 5 end portion thereof by a swaging or upset ting operation, thereby resulting in a flattened section or portion, 10, and a shoulder, a, the width of the flattened section '10 exceeding the cross sectional dimensions of the wire, whereas the thickness of said flattened portion is less than the diameter of the wire. Thus, Figures 4 and 8 show the wire with a flattened portion 10 the width of which exceet s the diameter of the wire, whereas in Figure 3 the flattened portion 10 is shown in cross section to have it appear that the thickness of said flattened portion is less than the diameter of the wire, a freely extending end portion 20 of the wire protruding from the flattened or deformed section '20, see Figures 4; and 8.

To adapt the implement for use in connection with preformed wire V of the character described, a retainer E is employed on one side of the gear-housing, see Figures 1, 8, and 14, and to retain the lapiing portions of said wire from displace ment relatively to each other during the operation of the twister gear C I use a special form of this retainer E on one side of the gear-housing, and in addition to said retainer E, I employ a second retainer F (see Figure 13) which is positioned on the other side of the gear-housing, see Figures 1, 2 and i.

The retainer E is shown as a fiat plate of suitable form and dimensions, said plate being provided with a longitudinal slot, 6, and with a notch, 6, said slot extending through an edge portion of the plate and terminating in a flared or expanded mouth portion 6*, the latter providing for the free entry or removal of the wire. The slot- 6 is of suitable length to accommodate at least two strands of the wire, but the width of the slot only slightly in excess of thevdianieter of the wire. The width of the notch e is less than the width of the slot, 6, said notch e beslightly wider than the flattened section or portion w of the wire. The notch e is shorter than the slot 6 into which slot the notch opens, and this notch is long enough to receive the flattened section 10 of the deformed wire, see Figures 3 and 4. The retainer is positioned against the outer face of the gear-housing, and is secured fixedly thereto by screws 6 or other means, said retainer being so related to the gear-housing that the slot 6 of the retainer is in register with the recess a of the gear-housing, and the open end or mouth 6 of the slot e in the retainer facing toward the front of the gear-housing (see Figure 2), in order that the deformed wire may freely enter the slot of the retainer E when said wire is introduced into the recess a of said gear-housing. WVhen introducing the deformed wire, the operator is required to insert the flattened section 10 of said wire into the notch e of retainer E, and this positions the wire into such relation to the retainer that the shoulder 10 of said wire is in abutting contact with said retainer E, see Figure t. The preformed wire and the retainer E are thus mutually adapted for cooperation in retaining said wire against slipping when tension is applied to the wire or the latter is subjected to additional strain when said wire is twisted, as in Figure 8, as a result of which co-operation of the deformed wire *ith the retainer E of the implement certain advantages are secured, which advantages include facility in introducing the wire into the implement, security in retaining the wire against slipping when strain is applied thereto, and simplification in the structure of the implement by the omission of gripping or clamping means for that portion of the wire which is to be anchored on the gear-housing.

The second retainer, F, is shown in Figure 13 as a flat plate provided with a longitudinal slot, f, one end of which is widened or flared to produce a mouth f for the easy introduction and removal of the wire. This retainer F is fitted against the gear-housing on the opposite side from retainer E. see

Figures 2 and 4, and said retainer F is secured fixedly in position, as by screws F, the slot f of said retainer being in register with. the recess a of the gear-housing and in the same horizontal plane as the slot 0 of retainer E, the slots e and f of retainers E, F, respectively, being in horizontal alinement with each other and with the recess a of the gear-housing, see Figure i. The slotf of retainer F is of a width slightly in excess of the diameter of the wire, and said slot 7' is of sufficient length to receive two strands or lengths of the same wire when the latter is positioned around the package and into co-operative relation to the implement. The retainers, E, F, are thus mounted on the gearhousing in operative relation to the recess 0/ thereof, and the slots, 6, f, of said retainers are positioned for the easy and free introduction of the wire. These slotted retainers perform an important function in the implement of my invention, which function isto preclude movement or displacement of the lapping portions of the wire during the rotation of the gear C for twisting together said lapping portions of the wire binder. In addition to performing the function just recited, the retainer E co-operates with the shoulder of the deformed wire in a manner to retain said wire from movement or slipping when strain is applied, both during the operation of tensioning the wire, and during the operation of twisting together the lap ping portions of the wire while the latter remains under tension; It is apparent, therefore, that retainer E serves as a means for anchoring or fixedly connecting one end portion of a deformed or preformed wire W to the gear-housing or frame of the implement, whereby I am enabled to dispense with a screw, dog, or other I 'n of mechani il device for gripping or anchoring one end of the wire to said gear-housing or im ilement frame.

For applying tension to the wire hinder, the'implement is constructed with movable element and with means for operating the same at will. In the embodiment herein shown, the movable element is a traveler, G, shown in Figures 1, 6 and 10, whereas the operating means for said t 'aveler is the screw B. The traveler is constructed or )YOilCliiCl with means for the fixed attachment thereto of the wire, two forms of such attaching or anchoring means being shown. In the construction depicted in Figures 1 and 10, an end portion of the traveler is cut away at g to produce a lug g, and in one face of this lug is formed a notch, 'h, the walls of which are inclined toward. each other, see Figure 10. Extending upwardly from the lug, g, is a short post or stem 72/ which is in fixed relation to the lug and is adjacent tie notch 72 therein] The lower face of the lug g is slightly raised above the lower face of the traveler, see Figure 10, to allow an end portion of the wire to pass oeneath the lug, whereby the operator is enabled to bend said end portionof the wire around the lug and in an upward direction, said upwardly bent portion of the wire being positioned within the notch h of the lug, and its free extremity being looped around the stem or post 71 The upwardly bent portion of the wire is wedged within the notch h when strain is applied to the wire by the movement of the traveler with respect to the gear-housing, in the operation of applying tension to said wire, and by thus wedging the wire in the notched lug and by twisting or looping said wire around the post it of the traveler, said wire is connected to the traveler in a nonslipping relation thereto, the notched and post-formed traveler hus providing a simple and efiicient means for anchoring one end of said wire. It is not desired, however, to limit the invention to the special form of traveler adapted for the fixed attachment thereto of one end of the wire, for the reason that I reserve the right of using gripping means for this purpose, one form of said gripping means being shown in Figure 1% of the drawings. In this embodiment of the invention, the traveler G is provided at one end with a lug i, and it carries a cam shaped gripper H, the latter being mounted in pivotal relation to said lug i and adapted for co-operat-ion therewith in anchoring the wire in fixed relation to the traveler. as shown, the gripper H is pivoted by a post h to the traveler, and it is provided with a suitable handle h for its convenient manipulation. The wire, or one end thereof, passes between the lug i and the cam face of the gripper. ll hen the gripper is turned to the dotted line position of Figure lat, the cam face is free from the wire, but with the wire extending between the gripper and the lug 2', the gripper may be turned to the full line position of Figure 14 for its cam face to bind on the wire and thus grip said wire between the lug 2' and the cam face of the gripper.

The traveler G is provided with a longitudinal recess, within which is positioned a member I, and his traveler is provided, also, with a plurality of transverse openings, 7a,], the opening Z being near one end of the traveler, whereas the opening k is intermediate the ends of said traveler. The traveler is directed in its movement relatively to the gear-housing A by a rod, J, the latter passing loosely through the opening Z of said traveler. The other opening, 73, of the traveler loosely receives the operating screw B, and with this screw co-operates the member I in such manner that rotative move ment of the screw imparts a sliding movement to the traveler. As shownin Figure 1, the traveler G is positioned at one side of the gear-housing, and it is adapted for movement toward and from said housing, the movement of the traveler away from the housing being due to the conjoint action ofthe screw B and the member I for the purpose of placing tension on the wire binder. The'member, I, is provided with a half nut I intermediate its ends, said half nut being formed in the lower edge of the traveler by producing a recess therein, the wall of which recess is formed with interrupted screw threads of such form as to engage with the threads on the screw B. Said half nut formed by the member I has pivotal movement relatively to the traveler, for which purpose the member I is fitted loosely on the rod J so as to be capable of turning freely on said rod, as shown by the full and dotted lines in Figure 6. The pivotal member I is adapted to be forcedv downwardly into the recess j of the traveler, in which position the threaded half nut part of the member meshes with the threads of the screw 13 so that a rotative movement of said screw will impart sliding motion to the ion member I and the traveler, the rod J acting on the traveler to preclude a turning movement of said traveler under the action of the screw and thus limit said traveler to sliding movement with respect to the gear-housing. The pivotal member I is locked in said dopressed position by a suitable latch, one form of which is indicated at K in Figures 6 and 10, wherein the latch is slidably fitted to the free end of the pivotal member I. The latch is pressed in one direction by a spring is so that the nose of the latch will snap below a shoulder 71: provided in the traveler, aid latch being releasable by pressure applied to a knob extending upv-rardly i'rom the latch, see Figure 6, whereby the latch operates to retain the member I in threaded engagement with said screw. Obviously, the latch can be pressed backward from the shoulder 70 and member I then lifted to free its threads from the screw, after which the traveler can be returned to an initial position by the action of a spring J the same being shown a coiled spring fitted loosely on the guide rod J, with one end in contact with the traveler and with its otherend seated against a locating plate L. The guide rod J passes loosely through the gear-housing and certain sleeves (5 thereof, one end of said rod extending a short distance beyond the housing on one side thereof, and being provided with a collar m, and on this short extending end portion of the rod is fitted a short coiled spring M, see Figure 1, seated at its ends against the collar m and the gear-housing, respectively.

The locating member L is adapted for contact with a side portion of the package, box, etc., see Figure l, and this member or plate is provided with bosses or sleeves Z Z In the sleeve Z is fitted one end portion of the guide rod J, the same being made lastto the sleeve by a pin Z so as to retain 'the locating member and the guide rod in fixed relation one to the other. The screw B passes loosely through the other sleeve or boss Z of the locating member, and is free to rotate therein, said screw being provided with a crank, B, or other means, for rotating the screw by hand. The screw B is in parallel relation to the guide rod J and the end portion of the screw opposite to the locating member L is mounted in a floating relation to the gear-housing by the hearing or supporting means shown in Figure 9, wherein said end of the screw is shown as having a smooth portion a to which is fitted a sleeve N held in position thereon by a pin a, said sleeve N being turnable with the screw B and being received loosely in a bear ing sleeve N in fixed relation to a member a of the gear-housing, whereby the screw B is supported at one end by the bearing sleeve N of the gear-housing.

The screw B is positioned intermediate the guide rod J and the line of placement of the wire binder W when applied to the implement and to the packing box or case, said screw being in the vertical plane of the of rotation of shaft D and the gear segment C, the screw being below the horizontal plane of said shaft D, see Figures 2 and 3. The location of the screw B in the described relation to the gear-housing is advantageous for the reason that the thrust or power of the screw on the traveler by which tension is applied to the wire has a tendency to overcome displacement of the implement relatively to the binder and the package, which displacement of the implement is due partly to the action of the twister mechanism upon the wire held under tension the conjoint action of the gearhousing, the traveler and the screw.

In this class of implements it is required that the free end of the wire be severed at a point intermediate the twist and the anchorage of said wire on the traveler, and in my invention I have provided a cutting mechanism which is effective in severing one anchored end portion of the wire after tension shall have been applied thereto and the lapping portions of the wire twisted together, said cutting mechanism acting to sever said wire at a point quite close to the twist (see Figure 8) so as to avoid the presence of a free end standing outwardly at an angle to the wire and the twist. The cutter is shown in detail in Figure 11, and in operative position in Figure 2, said cutter including a member 0 provided at one end with a finger 0 and at its other end with an eye 0. At the eye formed end of the cutter, the member 0 is provided with a notch, 12, and adjacent this notch said member is formed with a beveled portion constituting a cutting blade 3). Said cutter is arranged in an upright position close to one side of the gearhousing, see Figures 1 and 2, and it is mounted or supported for pivotal movement by fitting its eye 0 on a stud or pin, g, the latter being fast with the gear-housing and extending outwardly therefrom. The'cutter is so related to the gear-housing and the recess a therein that the notch of the cutter is adapted to straddle one portion of the two lapping portions of the wire when the lat ter shall been passed around a package and applied so that one end of said wire is anchored in the retainer E of the gear-housing, whereas the other end, of the wire is anchored on the traveler G. Said cutter is held in a normal position free from contact with the wire, or either length thereof, by the action of a coiled spring 0, one end of which is attached to the finger 0, and the other end is anchored on or attached to the gear-housing, see Figure 2. The cutter member 0 is provided intermediate its ends with a swell or cam portion 9', which lies in the path of a cam Q provided with a collar that is fitted on one end portion of the shaft D and made fast therewith by suitable means. The

. cam Q and the swell g of the cutter member are so related that at a certain period in the rotation of shaft D said cam Q acts on the swell. of the cutter member to impart pivotal movement to said cutter member for the purpose of moving the blade downwardly and in an arcuate path, whereby the blade acts forcibly upon one strand or length of the wire lV, thereby cutting through that end portoin of the wire which is attached to the traveler G. The line of the cut or severance of thewire is quite close to the twisted portion of said wire, and said wire is severed by the automatic operation of the cutter, and said out or severance is so close to the twist that thcre'is no free end portion of the wire left in outstanding relation to the twisted portion thereof, see Figure 8.

Means are provided for ejecting that end portion of the wire which is anchored by retainer E in fixed or non-slippin relation to the gear-housing. Ob *ious'ly, the wire under tension due to the pulling action of the traveler and to the reduction in the length ofthe wire by the twister becomes lodged in the retainer E to such an ezitent as to require the application of some force to effect the dislodgment of the wire from the notch c of said retainer. To attain the end sought, I provide an ejector which is cam operated from the shaft D adapted to be turned by lever arm D. The ejector is shown in Figure 3 as an irregularly shaped member R, similar to a bell crank lever, positioned on one side of the gear-housing A, and pivotally mounted thereon at the knee or bend by means of a stud or screw, 1, the lower end portion of the ejector member being adjacent the retainer E and in such relation thereto that said end portion of the ejector member will sweep across the slots 6 e of the retainer E, whereby the pivotal movement of the ejector member is adapted to dislodge the preformed end portion of the wire from said slots in the retainer, it being apparent; that the low r end portion of the ector member is adapted for contact with the short free end portion 10 of. the wire, see Figures 2 and a. The other arm of the ejector member is curved lengthwise so as to extend more or less around one end portion of shaft D, and to this arm of said ejector member is connected a spring 1*, the same being anchored on or attached at r to the gear-housing. Said spring holds theejector member in such position that the curved arm thereof is in the path of a cam 13, the latter being fixedly secured to one end portion of shaft 1), with which shaft is associated the gear segment C and the lever arm D. The

cam is ejector member that after the shaft has turned the required distance to operate the twister gear C and the wire cutter O, the cam B acts on the ejector member R for moving the latter in the required direction 7 and for the distance necessary to dislodge the preformed portion 10 of the wire W from the notchc of retainer E, whereby the wire is released, or, it may be said, the implement is moved relatively to the applied wire in a manner to allow the easy removal of said implement from contact with the wire and to dismount said implement from the package.

The operation may be described tollows:-The implement placed upon a package intermediate the sides or ends there of, with the locating member L in contact with one side of the package, and with. the traveler G occupying a closc-uprelation to the geanhousing, the nut-formed member I being; depressed for its threads to engage with the screw l3 and said member I being; locked in said depressed position by the latch K fitting beneath the shoulder The op erator selects from a bundle of wire, or from a source of supplyother than a bundle. a wire of theprope'r length and whichw re has previously been straightened and deformed so as to produce thereon the flattened portion to and the shoulder to. This straight wire is now applied by the operator in such manner that the flattened portion er pass s through the slot c in the retainer and enters the notch e in said retainer v said flattened portion w of said wire being; received snugly in the notch 6, and the shoulder to of said wire being in abuttingengagement with the retainer, the eti'cct of which is to anchor the preformed end portion of the wire on the gear-housing. T he wire passes from the retainer E through the recess a of thegear-housing, within the slot of the twister gear C, the slot f of the retainer F, thence below the lug g of the travelcr G, thence around one corner of the package and into contact with ed "a at the locating member L, see Figures 1. T thence on one side of the package, beneath it. thence along the other side of the parkarev thence from the upper corner of said package again through slot 0 of the retainer thence again through the slot 0" of the twister gear, thence again through the slot of the retainer F, and finally its end portion is bent upwardly into the notch it of the traveler-and is looped around the post 72 so as to anchor said end portion of the wire on the traveler. It will be noted that the wire is bent at the several corners of the package, one end of the wire is anchored by retainer E on the gear-housing, the other end is anchored. on the traveler, and that parallel porso related to the shaft D and to the Y Cal tions of the wire are within the two retainers E, I and within the slot of the twister gear, see Figure 4:. V

The wire having been applied, the next step is to apply tension to said wire for the two-fold purpose of taking up slack in the wire and to pull it tightly into contact with the package, the tension so applied being more than suflicient to merely take up the slack and to so strain the wire that it becomes embedded in the corners of the package, as shown in Figure 1, whereby the wire when applied has the effect of compressing the package so as to compensate for any shrinkage of the wood, and said wire cannot slip off the package due to shrinkage of the material thereof. This operation of tensioning the wire is obtained in my invention by moving the traveler G away from the gear-housing, and is due to the action of screw B on the half-nut member I, which is latched to the traveler G. The movement of the traveler away from the gear-housing pulls on the wire so as to stretch it around the package, and such pull of the wire on the end anchored to the gear-housing by the retainer E may have a tendency to impart a movement, to a slight extent, to said gear-housing itself, so that a separating'movement takes place between the traveler and the gearhousing, although the employment of the locating member L acts, in a large measure, to preclude a substantial shifting of the implement relatively to the package during the tensioning operation. The wire having been placed under the required tension, the next step in the operation is due to the movement of the lever arm D and the rotative movement of the gear segment C operating to impart the required number of turns to the twister gear C. The two lengths of the wire within the retainers E, F, and the slot of the twister gear as shown by Figure 4, are held by the slots of said retainers in parallel relation, but the rotation of the twister gear C acts on the two lengths of wire so held in such a manner as to twist said lengths of the wire together, with the result that the wire is twisted in the manner shown in Figure 8, and such twisting of thewire takes place while it is under tension. During the rotative movement of the twister gear by the action of the gear segment and the lever arm, the cams Q and R turn with the shaft D without said cams acting upon the cutter member 0 or the ejector member R; but as the lever arm D approaches the limit of its movement from the full line position of Figures 2 and 3, to the dotted line position in the same figures, then the cams R, are successively brought into action, such active period of the two cams being subsequently to the operation of tensioning the wire and twisting the same. As the twister completes its operation, the cam Q acts on the cutter member 0 to force downwardly the cutting blade p on one strand of the wire for the purpose of cutting said strand at a point close to the twist, the effect of which is to free the wire applied to the package from its pointof attachment to the traveler G. The wire having thus been severed, the cam R acts on the ejector R, which is forcibly pressed against the free end 20 of the wire so as to displace the flattened portion 20 of said wire from the notch e of retainer E, the effect of which is to shift the implement bodily with reference to the applied wire, so that the implement can be easily moved by hand away from contact with the tensioned and twisted wire. The operator should now take the implement off the package, shift latch K from the locked relation to the traveler, lift the member I free from the threads of screw B, whereupon the spring J acts on the traveler to slide italong the guide rod J to a position close up to the gearhousing, whereby the traveler is quickly re turned to a normal operative position, and said implement is thus adapted to be quickly and easily placed in condition for a subsequent operation of applying another binder wire to the same package, or to other packages.

Having thus fully described the inven tion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a package binding implement, a frame having means for anchoring a wire thereto, a traveler movable relatively to said frame, and means for imparting move ment to said traveler, said means including a separable connection for said traveler with the movement imparting means, in combination with means for locking the wire when under tension.

2. In a package binding implement, a frame having means for fixedly retaining a wire, a traveler movable relatively to said frame, a screw, and a member movable with the traveler and having a separable connection with said screw.

3. In a package binding implement, a frame having means for fixedly retaining a wire, a screw, and a two-part traveler having a releasable connection with said screw.

4. In a package binding implement, a frame having means for fixedly retaining a wire, a screw, and a two-part traveler havlng a releasable connection with said screw, one part of said traveler being provided with means for the fixed connection therewith of said wire.

5. In a package binding implement, a frame having means for retaining one part of a wire, a screw, a traveler having means for retaining another part of a wire, said traveler having a threaded separable connection with said screw, and means for returning said traveler to normal position members,

bers and means for effecting upon the release thereof from said screw.

6. In a package binding implement, a frame, a screw, a traveler movable relatively to said frame, said traveler having a releasable engagement with said screw, and a spring device for effecting the return of the traveler to normal position when released from its engagement with said screw.

7. In a package binding implement, a frame, a travelermovable relatively to the frame, said traveler being recessed for wet ging engagement with a wire, and means for imparting movement to the traveler relatively to the frame.

8. In a package binding implement, wire tensioning means including a plurality of one of which is recessed and cooperable with a deformation of a preformed wire and another of which members is recessed for co-operation with a portion of said preformed wire, and means for imparting relative movement to said members.

9. In a package binding implement, ten-- sioning means including a plurality of mema relative movement between said members, one of said members being recessed for wedging engagement with a wire and said member being provided with means for anchoring said wire.

10. In a package binding implement, a frame, a screw, a recessed traveler slidable relatively to said frame, a threaded member carried by the traveler, said threaded member being engageable with the screw and releasable at will therefrom, and means for locking said threaded member in fixed relation to the traveler.

11. In a package binding implement, a frame, a screw, a two-part traveler having a threaded engagement with said screw and releasable at will therefrom, and means for imparting movement to said traveler when released from threaded engagement with the screw.

12. In a package binding implement, a frame, a screw, a guide rod, a two-part traveler slidable on said guide rod, said traveler having a threaded engagement with the screw and releasable at will therefrom, and a spring for imparting movement to the a preformed wire, tension means for the wire, means for locking said wire while under tension, and a rockable eiector operable for displacing said wire from the etaining means subsequently to the operation of the wire locking means.

15. In a package binding implement,

means for retaining a preformed wire, tension means for said wire, locking means for said wire, and an ejector operable in synchronism with said wire locking means for dislodging said preformed wire from the retaining means.

16. In a package binding implement, means for engagement with the deformation of a preformed wire, tension means for said wire. locking means for said wire, and an ejector the operation of which is in synchronism with said wire locking meansfor dislodging said wire deformation from said retaining means. c

1.7. In a package binding implement, a retainer engageable wi h the deformation of a preformed wire, tension means for said wire, twisting means for said wire, a rock able ejector for dislodging the deformation of said wire from engagement with said retainer, and ejector actuating means operable in synchronism with said twisting means.

18. In a package binding implement, a frame provided with a plurality of recessed retainers for receiving a preformed wire, a traveler, a screw for imparting movement to said frame, and a locating element hav ing a wire contacting surface in alined relation to said recessed retainers.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 14th day of June, 1922.

' SPENCER C. CARY. 

